# Words to Pages Calculator > Source: https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/calculators/words-to-pages Last updated: 2026-09-06 Words → printed pages 50,000 words is about 150–200 pages in a printed book. At the most common trade-paperback size, 6 × 9 inches in 11-point type, it runs 152–167 pages; a 5.5 × 8.5 paperback runs 167–182, a 5 × 8 runs 179–200, and a double-spaced manuscript about 200. Enter your own word count below. ## Words to pages at every trim size Body text only, at each trim's stated basis: typeset trims in 11-point type, the manuscript column at the 12-point double-spaced convention. Add front matter and chapter openings for the bound count. | Words | 5 × 8 · 11 pt | 5.5 × 8.5 · 11 pt | 6 × 9 · 11 pt | 8.5 × 11 · 11 pt | Manuscript (double-spaced) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 10,000 | 36–40 | 34–37 | 31–34 | 20–22 | 39–42 | | 20,000 | 72–80 | 67–73 | 61–67 | 39–43 | 77–84 | | 30,000 | 108–120 | 100–110 | 91–100 | 58–64 | 116–125 | | 40,000 | 143–160 | 134–146 | 122–134 | 77–85 | 154–167 | | 50,000 | 179–200 | 167–182 | 152–167 | 96–106 | 193–209 | | 60,000 | 215–240 | 200–219 | 182–200 | 115–127 | 231–250 | | 70,000 | 250–280 | 234–255 | 213–234 | 134–148 | 270–292 | | 80,000 | 286–320 | 267–291 | 243–267 | 153–169 | 308–334 | | 90,000 | 322–360 | 300–328 | 273–300 | 172–190 | 347–375 | | 100,000 | 358–400 | 334–364 | 304–334 | 191–211 | 385–417 | | 120,000 | 429–480 | 400–437 | 364–400 | 229–253 | 462–500 | ## How the calculator works The calculator divides your word count by a **words-per-page basis** for the trim size you choose, then shows the result as a range rather than a single number, because no two typeset pages hold the same number of words. The bases are stated so you can judge them: a 6 × 9 trade paperback in 11-point type holds about 300–330 words per page; a 5.5 × 8.5 paperback about 275–300; a 5 × 8 about 250–280; a single-spaced 8.5 × 11 page about 500; and a double-spaced manuscript page the standard 250. Changing the point size changes both the number of characters on a line and the number of lines on a page, so words per page scale with the square of the ratio. Moving from 11 to 12 point drops a 6 × 9 page to about 252–277 words — the familiar "250 to 280" figure most people quote — and adds roughly a sixth to the page count. Moving down to 10 point holds about 363–399 words and takes a fifth of the pages away. The reference table above is computed by the same function as the calculator, so the two can never disagree. ## Why words per page is a range, not a number Two 80,000-word novels typeset identically can differ by twenty pages. Dialogue is the biggest reason: every line of dialogue is its own paragraph, and a paragraph that ends mid-line leaves the rest of the line empty. A brisk thriller with short exchanges runs airier — fewer words per page, more pages — than a dense literary novel with long paragraphs of interior narration. Chapter openings add more. Convention drops the first line of a chapter a third of the way down the page, and most designers start every chapter on a right-hand page, which means a blank left-hand page whenever the previous chapter ends on a recto. Thirty chapters can add fifteen to twenty pages between them. Then there is everything that is not the story: a half-title, a title page, the copyright page, a dedication, perhaps a contents page and an epigraph — six to twelve pages of front matter before chapter one — plus acknowledgements, an author's note and an "also by" page at the back. None of it is in your word count, and all of it is in the page count the printer charges for. The calculator estimates the body text only; add front and back matter on top. ## Manuscript pages and printed pages are different things When an agent or a contest asks for a page count, they almost always mean **manuscript pages**: letter or A4 paper, 12-point Times New Roman or Courier, one-inch margins, double-spaced. That format averages about 250 words a page, which is why 50,000 words is "200 pages" in a query letter and only 152–167 pages in a finished 6 × 9 paperback. Publishing runs on word count precisely because manuscript pages are a rough proxy — every standard answer to "how long is a novel?" is in words, which is why our [novel length guide](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/calculators/novel-length) is organised that way too. If you are converting the other direction — you have a printed book and want to know its word count — multiply its page count by the words-per-page figure for its trim, then subtract about ten per cent for chapter breaks and front matter. A 300-page 6 × 9 paperback is usually 80,000–90,000 words. ## Choosing a trim size Trim size is a design decision that also changes the page count and, with it, the printing cost and the spine width. **6 × 9** is the default for trade paperbacks and hardcover fiction and non-fiction: it holds the most words per page, so a long book stays reasonably thin. **5.5 × 8.5** is the classic softer paperback size and suits novels of any length. **5 × 8** feels intimate in the hand and works well for novellas, poetry and short novels, where the extra pages help a slim book feel substantial. **8.5 × 11** is for workbooks, manuals, cookbooks and anything with wide tables or two-column text. Print-on-demand printers charge per page, so the same 100,000 words costs more to print at 5 × 8 (358–400 pages) than at 6 × 9 (304–334 pages). For a long novel that difference shows up on every copy; for a novella the extra heft of a smaller trim is usually worth paying for. Bindery's [book formats](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/formats) pages list the real trim and binding options for each kind of book. ## The page counts a printer will actually bind A page estimate is only useful if the book can be bound. Bindery prints through Lulu, and each binding has hard limits: **paperback 32–800 pages**, **hardcover (case wrap) 24–800**, **lie-flat coil 2–470**, and **saddle stitch 4–48**. At 6 × 9 in 11 point, the 800-page ceiling is roughly 240,000–264,000 words — an epic that runs past it needs a larger trim, a smaller point size, or two volumes. At the other end, a paperback needs at least 32 pages, which is about 10,000 words at 6 × 9; a shorter piece prints as a saddle-stitched booklet or a coil-bound book instead. The estimate on this page is exactly that — an estimate. When Bindery typesets your manuscript it lays out every page with LaTeX, counts the real pages including front matter and chapter openings, and sizes the spine of the cover from that count rather than from a words-per-page guess. That is the number the printer sees, and it is the one to trust for the final book. ## FAQ ### How many pages is 50,000 words? About 150–200 printed pages. At 6 × 9 inches in 11-point type, 50,000 words is 152–167 pages; at 5.5 × 8.5 it is 167–182; at 5 × 8 it is 179–200. As a double-spaced manuscript it is about 200 pages. ### How many pages is 50,000 words double-spaced? About 200 pages. The standard manuscript format — 12-point type, double-spaced, one-inch margins on letter paper — averages 250 words a page, and 50,000 divided by 250 is 200. ### How many pages is 80,000 words in a book? About 240–320 pages depending on trim: 243–267 at 6 × 9 in 11-point type, 267–291 at 5.5 × 8.5, and 286–320 at 5 × 8. Add front matter and chapter openings — typically another 10–20 pages — for the final bound count. ### How many pages is 100,000 words? About 300–400 pages: 304–334 at 6 × 9 (11 pt), 334–364 at 5.5 × 8.5, and 358–400 at 5 × 8. As a double-spaced manuscript it is about 400 pages. ### How many words are on a page of a paperback? Usually 250–330. A 6 × 9 trade paperback in 11-point type holds about 300–330 words a page; a 5.5 × 8.5 paperback about 275–300; a 5 × 8 about 250–280. Dialogue-heavy pages hold fewer, dense narrative pages more. ### Does font size change the page count much? Yes. Going from 11 to 12 point adds about a sixth to the page count, because both the characters per line and the lines per page shrink. 80,000 words at 6 × 9 is 243–267 pages in 11 point and 289–318 pages in 12 point. ## Related - [Novel Length](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/calculators/novel-length) - [Reading Time](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/calculators/reading-time) - [Audiobook Length](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/calculators/audiobook-length) - [Writing Time](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/calculators/writing-time) - [How to Write a 50,000-Word Novel](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/guides/how-to-write-a-50000-word-novel) - [How to Write a 100,000-Word Novel](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/guides/how-to-write-a-100000-word-novel) - [How to Write a Novella](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/guides/how-to-write-a-novella) - [How Long Should Novel Chapters Be?](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/guides/how-long-should-chapters-be) - [Book calculators](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/calculators) - [Bindery — the Claude-powered book studio](https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/bindery) --- More from Infinite Library, as one map for AI agents: https://www.infinitelibrary.ai/llms.txt